Planning
by BunnyGoBoom
Summary: Maggie has her whole life planned down to the last detail. What will she do when her goals are threatened? Fourteenth chapter up!
1. Chapter 1: Test Taking

**Test Taking**

_ No, I'm sure didn't do it right. Maybe I didn't wait long enough, or maybe this brand isn't reliable. I must've done something wrong._

Maggie refused to believe it when all six pregnancy tests came out positive. She couldn't be pregnant; she had to have done the tests wrong. As she stared at the tests scattered around the bathroom sink, she began to feel the reality hit her.

_But it isn't impossible, is it? That night with—_

She shoved away the thought. It was a stupid mistake she didn't want to think about.

As painful and terrifying as it was, she had to admit the tests were probably right. Her breasts were sore. She'd been getting nauseous. She had been feeling exhausted lately and took naps as soon as she got home from school. Strangest of all, there were times she felt she'd go crazy if she didn't have a cookie.

Tears spilled down her cheeks as she sank to the floor. Maggie couldn't help crying loudly as she hugged her knees to her chest. Not only was she not ready for this, but this wasn't part of the plan. Everything was planned out, and there was no wiggle room for a baby.

_A baby, I'm having a baby. What am I going to do? _

It played over and over in her head. She knew what she _could _do, but she wasn't sure about the options. There was adoption, but could she really give up her child? Yet raising it herself was just as questionable. Even if she was willing to throw all her dreams away, she doubted she was ready to be a mother. Then there was also…

She gasped as the thought hit her. She hadn't expected to react that much. It would be the smart thing to do, wouldn't it? It would be like it never happened. Her parents wouldn't have to know… And she would able to keep her plans. But no matter how she pitched it, the thought tied her stomach in knots.

Unfolding herself, she looked down at her midsection. She wasn't showing yet; it had only been six weeks. Without looking away, she wiped her tears with her shirtsleeves. Placing a hand over her stomach, she couldn't help but wonder: Was there really a person growing in there? What she was going to do depended on her answer.

_It's just a cluster of cells, right? But then I was once, too._

Suddenly it hit her that she was arguing whether her baby was a person or not. Did she really have the right? If she wanted her baby, it was a baby, but if she didn't she could say it wasn't? She rubbed her stomach gently, whispering, "You're a baby. You're_ my_ baby." Tears started streaking down her face again. She was so tired. All she wanted to do was sleep.

After sitting on the floor a few more minutes, Maggie crawled into bed, hoping it was all a dream.


	2. Chapter 2: Decision Making

**Decision Making**

"Maggie, wake up."

It took her a second to force her way into consciousness. Slowly, she lifted her head off her desk and looked at Jasper through sleepy eyes. As she looked around and realized she was at school, Jasper spoke again.

"You fell asleep in class, like ten minutes after Dr. Natterson started talking." He looked completely stunned. "Did you not sleep at all last night?"

She was too groggy to respond. Last night she had a horrible dream that she was pregnant, and when she woke up this morning she saw all the positive pregnancy tests still on the bathroom counter.

Ignoring the feeling of her heart dropping into her stomach, Maggie muttered something about nightmares. Thankfully Jasper didn't ask for more details.

They left the classroom and hurried to their lockers. While Maggie took out her books for English class, she fought the panic threatening to take hold of her. Had Jasper noticed other things, too? Had he noticed her mood swings or her cookie cravings? It would be bad enough if Jasper got suspicious, but if_ Henry_ did... There was absolutely no way she'd let that happen, at least until she figured out what she was going to do.

She hated herself for allowing things to get so messed up between them. Henry, Jasper, and Maggie were still a team: they still hung out together and adventured like they always did. It was different now, though: there was… tension. Henry and Maggie couldn't help being awkward around each other. Ever since that night, Maggie hadn't been able to look at him the same. Worst of all, they didn't talk anymore, unless Jasper was around. That wasn't so much from their night together as it was from their conversation about it afterwards. She had been cruel, curt, and guarded. She had also lied to Henry about the way she felt and what she wanted, but she had done it all for their own good. At least, that what she told herself. Despite her harsh words and behavior, Henry didn't treat her unkindly. After her brutal monologue, he simply said, "I understand." and left. From then on he was nice as usual, as if she hadn't ripped his heart out and ground it into the floor with her heel.

The bell rang just as she entered her next class. As she settled into her seat, she realized she hadn't seen Henry all day. Although her reflex reaction to his absence was sadness, she told herself it was a convenient thing: she wouldn't have to endure his furtive glances or undeserved tenderness.

Fortunately, Maggie was able to stay awake through the rest of her classes, all the way up to lunch. While she and Jasper were eating, she considered telling her secret. It was a significant weight on her shoulders, and being the only one to bear it made her feel horribly alone. She dismissed the thought. If she was going to tell anyone, it shouldn't be Jasper. It was such a big responsibility, and he wasn't even a part of it.

Lost in her thoughts, Maggie hadn't noticed Jasper eyeing her from across the table. When he spoke, it took her a second to tune in.

"Are you ok, Mags?"

"Huh?" She uttered as she looked up at him.

"You've been acting weird lately. You're tired all the time and you haven't picked a fight with me at all today and it's already noon." He looked both concerned and confused. "And around Henry you've been… distant. You act like you barely know him."

"I just haven't been feeling well. As for Henry and I, we're totally fine." She lied.

"Oh, really? He's been depressed for almost two months now. He's disturbingly quiet and he bangs on that stupid drum like every night." Jasper sounded annoyed but he looked worried.

Maggie hadn't noticed Henry acting that way. "He seems ok at school."

"Well, he definitely isn't. " Jasper paused and looked as if he were mustering up courage. "Did something happen? Something I don't know about?"

"No, Jasper. If something had, we would've told you." She lied again. Poor Jasper, he was so in the dark, so out of the loop. It was better if he stayed that way.

As soon as school let out, Maggie headed straight for her car. What she felt she had to do wasn't going to be easy, but she hoped if she could just put herself on autopilot and not think about it too much, she could get through it.

She had driven past the clinic many times before, so she knew how to find it. When she parked her car, it took her awhile to get out. Doing without thinking was harder than she thought. Taking a deep breath, she told herself it'll all be over soon and walked into the clinic.

Reluctant to speak, she addressed the middle-aged woman at the front desk. "Do you require parental consent?"

"No. Sign in here, please." The woman answered as she handed Maggie a clipboard.

Her hands shook as she debated whether or not to write her real name. She decided to use her middle name instead of her first name and wrote "Anne Winnock".

After handing back the clipboard, she was given a pen and a form to fill out. She sat in one of the many chairs and held the pen, willing herself to write. Not even a quarter of the first page was filled out when something occurred to her.

_This happened because I was stupid and Henry was impulsive. _She looked down at her stomach. _But what did you do?_

Her blood turned to ice water in her veins. She and Henry were responsible for this, yet their innocent baby would pay the price? Why, because she was scared? Was it because she was selfish?

Her eyes widened as the thought struck her. Was she so driven to achieve her goals that she was willing to kill her baby? And how could she do this without ever giving Henry a say in the matter? It was his child, too.

She bit back a sob and rushed to the woman sitting behind the counter. "I'm sorry, I can't do this." Maggie said as she clumsily gave the woman the unfinished papers.

At first the woman looked startled and annoyed, but after seeing Maggie's expression she softened. "It's alright. No one's forcing you to."

Maggie looked at her and thanked her, her voice barely audible. Then she bolted out the doors as if the building was on fire.


	3. Chapter 3: Confessing

**Confessing**

Maggie sat on the floor in an empty classroom, contemplating how she could tell Henry the news. She didn't want to go home; her parents would catch her crying. It felt safer here.

_Henry, I'm pregnant._

It was too straight-forward, she knew that, but it was the only thing that sounded decent. Using a euphemism seemed stupid. You only use the terms "with child" and "expecting" when the pregnancy is joyfully awaited and properly planned. Her situation called for terms like "knocked up" and "up the spout".

The sound of footsteps came from out in the hall. She didn't pay attention to it; it was probably a janitor. When she heard the classroom door open, she looked up. Henry stood before her, covered in dirt. She felt the blood drain from her face.

"Maggie? Why are you in here?" He asked, still standing in the doorway.

Quickly wiping the tears off her cheeks, she came up with the perfect answer. "Oh, nothing really." Realizing how incredibly weak that was, she changed the subject. "Why are you filthy?"

Henry looked down at his clothes. "I've been trapped underground all day. It's no big deal." He took a half-step forward. "I came in here because I thought I heard crying."

"Uh…" _Drat,_ Maggie thought. Would she really have to tell him _now_? If she didn't, she might wait too long. They needed time to prepare, right?

She looked up at him, her expression suggesting that she had something important to tell him. Henry took a few steps closer and sat on the floor a few feet away from Maggie. She was torn between wanting him within hugging distance and wanting her space.

"That night…" She began, and Henry quickly looked at the floor. "I don't want to talk about it, but I do owe you an apology. Henry, I'm so sorry about the way I treated you after… after everything happened. I didn't even mean most of it. I thought I was doing us a favor, but really I was just… scared."

He looked her in the eye. She'd never seen him look so vulnerable, so hopeful. He slowly moved closer to her, and soon he was at her side. As he put his arm around her, Maggie spoke.

"I need your help." She was so quiet he barely heard her.

He hugged her closer. "Help with what?"

"I… I'm…" The words stuck in her throat. She rested her head on his shoulder, and he waited patiently for her reply. Try as she might, the words refused to be spoken. Maggie squeezed her eyes shut as she took his hand and rested it on her stomach.

Henry took a few seconds to reply. "Your stomach hurts?" He said, sounding confused, "I have an herbal remedy for that. You can come over and I'll make it for you."

Maggie was stunned. The gesture had been completely lost on him. That meant she didn't most definitely absolutely have to tell him. Not yet, anyway.

"Yeah, it's pretty bad. I'm also hormonal and tired, so that doesn't help." Who can blame her for chickening out? She'd had enough to deal with today. "So does that remedy work if the pain is… um… the monthly kind?" It was way easier to talk about periods with Henry than it was to tell him he was going to be a father. She needed a better excuse than a normal stomach-ache, anyway.

Henry smiled. "No, but I can make you one that'll work." He looked so happy to be able to talk to her again. "Want me to give you a ride to my house?"

Maggie did, but then she realized that if she spent time with him she might blurt out the truth. She wanted more time.

"I'd love that, but… I actually really just want to sleep right now. Can you please drive me home?"

He looked a bit disappointed, but eager to help her. "Sure. We can take your car so you won't have to come back and get it. I don't have mine anyway."

"What? But you said you could give me a ride to your house."

"Yeah, but I meant I could carry you. It's not that far and you're pretty light."

All Maggie could do was blink. She studied his expression to see if he was serious, and she couldn't help but blush. His blue-green eyes made her heart flutter and his plump lips made her melt a little. And that was just his face. If she ever saw him shirtless again she probably wouldn't be able to control herself.

Maggie cleared her throat. "That's ok, Tarzan. We can take my car."

They hadn't talked much on the way home. It seemed that it was enough for them to be able to be alone together without feeling completely awkward. Henry had insisted on carrying her to her room, but Maggie declined reluctantly. He had to settle for walking her to the door.

Maggie lay on her bed, berating herself for being a coward. Would there ever really be a perfect time to tell him, anyway?

_It's not just him to worry about, either. If I'm keeping this baby, then everyone will find out. My parents, Jasper, Dean Bartlett, the whole school…_

The thought made her sick to her stomach. Then she became frozen with fear.

_My parents push me so hard to succeed. They're always telling me that grades come first. What are they going to say? What will they try to convince me to do? Will they be so disappointed that they'll kick me out?_

Her eyes became blurred with tears.

_ They'll never trust me again. Mom and Dad will think I'm a failure and they'll never look at me the same way. They're going to hate me!_

She curled up under the sheets as her sobbing grew louder. A minute or so later there was a knock on her door.

"Maggie, sweetheart, what's wrong?" Her dad said as he stepped over the threshold.

If only she could tell him. She wanted him to hold her and tell her he still loved her and that everything was going to be alright. Unfortunately, she couldn't guarantee he would give her a favorable response. So she lied again.

"I'm on my period," She replied in a thick voice, "Please leave me alone."

Maggie breathed a sigh of relief when he apologized and said Mom would put her dinner in the refrigerator. When he left, she buried her face into her pillow.

She felt so alone. If she kept this secret all to herself much longer, she'd burst. Her parents were out of the question, which meant that if she was going to tell someone, the logical choice would be Henry. Immediately she felt regret for not telling him when she had the chance. Maggie looked at the clock. It was only six-twenty. There was still time… but then again she wasn't sure if she could deal with a bad reaction. Right now she didn't care.

Maggie ran into the bathroom to fix her make-up, and was out the door with little more than an "I'll be right back." to her parents. Before she knew it she was on the Bartlett's front porch, knocking with more urgency than intended. Dean Bartlett answered the door.

"Hi," She greeted, sounding a tad neurotic, "I'm sorry, I probably should've called first. Is Henry here?"

Dean Bartlett answered yes and let her in. "Is there something wrong?" He said with concern as she rushed upstairs.

She knocked on the door a few times then let herself in.

Jasper looked surprised to see her. "Oh hey Mag-"

"Leave." Maggie said, and then realized that was a bit rude. "I mean… please leave. Jasper, I need to talk to Henry alone."

Jasper did as she asked, although quite reluctantly. Henry's worried look made her want to turn around and leave and not bother him with this, but instead she closed the door and started pacing the room.

"Uh… Maggie? I thought you needed to sleep?" Henry asked carefully, "Didn't you say that you weren't feeling well?"

"I lied to you." The truth was clawing its way out of Maggie's mouth. "I'm sorry, but you made it so easy! You misunderstood me and I took advantage of that because I wasn't ready. I was so scared! I was afraid you would freak out on me. I wasn't sure I could handle that, not after coming back from the clinic."

Henry's eyes widened. "Back from _where_?"

Maggie's lip quivered. "I couldn't do it. I couldn't even fill out the paperwork. It just didn't seem right and you didn't even know yet and you deserve a say…"

"Maggie?" It seemed that Henry was beginning to understand.

She stopped pacing. "Keeping this a secret has been killing me and I am so afraid of what my parents will do so Henry I need you to not flake out on me."

Henry got off his hammock and walked over to her. Grabbing her gently by the shoulders, he looked into her eyes.

"Whatever it is, I'll be there for you. Please just tell me already." He looked hopeful that it wasn't what he thought it was.

"I'm pregnant."

Someone emitted a girlish squeak behind the closed bedroom door. Maggie turned her attention to the sound as Henry passed out.


	4. Chapter 4: Lying

This may or may not have wandered into M-rated territory. So use protection – I mean, caution.

* * *

><p><strong>Six Weeks Earlier<strong>

Last year, Maggie had seen Henry walk on hot coals, stop his own heart, and catch an arrow that was milliseconds away from impaling him. He never seemed to have much of a problem with life-threatening situations. Schoolwork, on the other hand...

"Um... it was in the summer, right?" Henry scratched his head and smiled at Maggie apologetically.

"Yes." Why was this so hard? It was a very simple thing to remember, or at least it was for Maggie.

Henry tapped his finger on the desk. He looked like it was right on the tip of his tongue. "June 10th through June 15th, 1862?"

Maggie resisted the urge to smack her forehead. "The Battle of Gettysburg occurred July 1st through July 3rd in the year 1863."

"Oh."

"Can you at least tell me what state Gettysburg is in?"

He thought for a moment. "Pennsylvania."

"Great," she said as she stood and stretched her legs, "at least you can remember that part."

They had been studying for almost three hours, and Henry was still having trouble making certain things stick. The familiarity of the DOUM shed made the grueling exercise of studying more comfortable, but Maggie was still developing a headache. She tried to have patience and compassion, though; not everyone could be blessed with a photographic memory like her.

Maggie tightened her sloppy ponytail. "Maybe we should take a break."

"Good idea," he agreed, "but afterward we should probably study for another hour."

"An_ hour? _Henry, we've been here forever and it's almost eight o'clock. And the test is two days from now." she placed her hands on her hips. "Why are you so much worse at studying than last year?"

Henry twirled a pencil in his hands. "Because school got harder?"

"You sound unsure."

"Do you not like spending time with me?"

Maggie put her hands on his shoulders. "I love spending time with you. It's the studying that I find tedious."

After a moment, Henry smiled. "Let's take a walk around in there." he nodded to the artifact-laden isles beyond the DOUM shed.

"That's only for scientists and other authorized personnel."

Henry rose from his seat and headed towards the door. "That's never stopped us before."

Shrugging in admittance, she turned to follow him.

They strolled passed shelf after curio-filled shelf, occasionally pausing to stare at an unusual piece. Not long after rounding a corner, the two heard an odd rumbling to their right. Just when they stopped to investigate, a massive sarcophagus-like stone plummeted from the top shelf. Maggie found herself smashed into the opposite shelf, stunned and staring at the homicidal rock sitting in the middle of the isle.

"Are you okay?" Henry said, pulling away just enough to look her in the eye.

Maggie suddenly realized it was Henry who had pushed her out of the way. His arms were wrapped around her protectively, and her hands were on his chest. Heat rose in her cheeks as she became acutely aware of how muscular and firm he was. His greenish-blue eyes bored into her chocolate ones, and occasionally wandered to her parted lips. Her breathing became shallow and her hands slid to the back of his neck, pulling him in closer. A tiny voice in the back of Maggie's head angrily inquired what the hell she was doing, and she cheekily answered by planting her lips on Henry's.

It was like throwing a lit match in a puddle of kerosene. Seconds after contact, they were each burning with a Cupidian fever that spurned them to venture further at a dizzying pace. As their tongues darted in one another's mouths, Henry's hands roamed under her shirt and Maggie pried at his belt buckle. At the quiet clinging sound of the undone buckle, Henry picked her up and pushed her hard against the shelf, where she compliantly wrapped her legs around his hips and eagerly pulled his shirt off. Maggie let out a gasping moan as Henry kissed a trail from her jaw to the tops of her breasts. The tiny voice sputtered confusedly in alarm, but Maggie drowned out the sound by unzipping Henry's pants and kissing his neck while he put his hands up under her skirt and ran his fingers under the lacy waistband of her underwear.

Henry and Maggie were controlled by their lust like a pair of helpless, horny puppets. After the quick ripping sound of tearing panties came the steady pounding of hormone-crazed wantonness. Giggles and groans rang intermittently, occasionally muffled by kisses and lip-biting.

As their glorious pressure continued to build, a softball-sized, seemingly insignificant stone idol teetered dangerously at the edge of the quaking shelf just a few inches away from their undulating bodies. With each thrust it threatened to fall to the cold, petrous floor.

But the lecherous teenagers didn't notice the imminent demise of the little statue; they were far too embroiled with the activity of deflowering one another. Their rhythmic thumping proceeded through their vigorous climb to the top of Mount O.

Moments after they victoriously reached the peak, the tiny rock sculpture could no longer keep its balance, and tumbled to the hard concrete surface several feet below. The fertility idol broke upon hitting the granitic floor, its bulbous head sporting a wide gash and its left obsidian eye chipped and dislodged from its stony socket.

The Aphroditic fire that was consuming them with rapacious pleasure promptly ceased. Their heads cleared, and full situational awareness took hold of them with its merciless iron grip.

Still panting, they stared at one another with unmitigated terror and shock. Gulping hard, Henry allowed Maggie to gently slide down until her feet reached the floor. After Henry backed up a yard or so, they looked down dazedly. Henry fumbled to quickly zip up his pants while Maggie looked around for her torn underwear.

"What just happened?" Henry said confusedly under his breath.

Maggie located her panties; they were carelessly tossed onto what looked like a ceremonial mask. "I don't know." she answered in a small, shaky voice.

Henry followed her as she rushed down the isle towards the DOUM shed. "Wait, shouldn't we talk about this?"

"I just want to go home." Her voice was thick with the threat of tears. She entered the DOUM shed and sloppily crammed her panties into her backpack.

Henry faced her and addressed her tenderly. "Maggie, I lied about needing to study." She turned away and gathered up her papers. "I just used it as an excuse to spend time alone with you. If Jasper didn't like you too, I'd just come right out and say I want you. But I don't want to hurt him."

Maggie sniffled as she stuffed her papers in her backpack. "What does that have to do with anything?" she asked without looking at him.

"Don't you... feel something, too?"

"The only thing I feel is stupidity." Lip quivering, Maggie faced him again. "We should never have done that. I don't even like you that way because you're a ridiculously impulsive, danger-loving _boy_. I've got plans for my future and they don't involve you. Whatever just happened in there was a colossal mistake because it would never work between us and I don't want to be with you _and would you please put your shirt back on?_"

Henry couldn't have looked more hurt if she had kicked him in the nuts. A part of her was screaming to take it all back, to admit she wanted him _so badly. _But that tiny voice of reason now had a megaphone, so she held her tongue. This was for their own good, no matter how painful it was. Those past months of repressing her feelings for him would not be in vain.

"You don't want to be with me." Henry reiterated in a hollow tone.

"No," Maggie stated firmly.

"Oh," the sound of his heart breaking was nearly audible. "I understand."

Maggie grabbed her backpack and brushed past him, fighting back tears as she walked through the door.

* * *

><p>Please review!<p> 


	5. Chapter 5: Confiding

"Henry?"

Wonderful. Just wonderful. When Henry was confronted with a cobra, he remained calm and subdued it. When he was trapped in an iron maiden, he was able to keep from panicking and escaped. But when Maggie told him he was going to be a father...

"Henry, wake up!" She said as she knelt next to him.

He opened his eyes dazedly, and pushed himself up off the floor. "Maggie?" Then he seemed to remember why he had collapsed. "Are you really pregnant?"

Biting her lip at the note of anxiety in his voice, she nodded.

"Huh."

"Yeah."

"Wow."

"I know."

"What the hell?" Jasper scream-whispered as he entered the room and shut the door behind him. "When did...? What... How..." His breathing became rapid and shallow. "Seriously, What the hell?"

"We didn't mean for it to happen." Henry answered.

"By 'it' do you mean getting pregnant, or having sex?"

"...Both."

"Oh. Well then would either of you mind telling me how this all happened? No, wait. Never mind. I don't want to know. Just tell me you didn't do it on my bed."

Henry looked at his frantic cousin in mild offense. "Do you really think we would do that? It happened in the DOUM rooms."

The moment Henry said that, Maggie had a terrible notion. "Are there security cameras in the DOUM rooms?"

For a second, no one even breathed.

"No, there aren't." Jasper said with a moderate dose of sureness. "Otherwise someone would've seen us all those times we took stuff from there last year."

"Right," Maggie said hopefully.

"They should probably put cameras in there." mused Henry.

"What? Do you want to get caught having sex in the DOUM rooms?"

"Are you saying you want to do it again?"

"Guys!" Jasper urged, wide-eyed and beet-red.

Henry and Maggie looked at one another and remembered that their biggest concern wasn't whether or not there were cameras in the DOUM rooms.

After taking Maggie's hand comfortingly, Henry looked to his cousin. "Jasper, could you..."

"Leave? Absolutely."

Once Jasper was out the door, Maggie collapsed into Henry's arms. Henry hugged her close and stroked her hair.

"I'm so sorry, Henry."

"It's partly my fault, too."

Maggie's eyes began to tear up. "This will ruin everything."

"Don't say that."

"Why not? I'm not wrong."

Henry sighed. "That's a very dangerous way to look at it."

A few seconds ticked by and neither said anything. Then Maggie pulled away and sat down on Jasper's bed.

"Maggie, this isn't the end of the world – "

"This is the end of MY world!" asserted Maggie, her voice almost breaking.

Henry nodded, understanding her meaning. He knew she was the smartest girl in school, the girl with the most promise, the girl with a spotless reputation... She could lose all that. Suddenly everyone would see her as the girl who screwed up and threw her life away.

"You won't be alone." he said tenderly as he sat down beside her. "I can help you do this. And I'll tell everyone it was my idea, and that it was my fault we didn't use protection, and – "

"You know it'll take more than that, right?" she asked, cracking a smile.

Whatever it takes," Henry tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'll do whatever you need me to."

Maggie looked into his eyes, wondering if he was lying. Did he truly understand what they had gotten themselves into? Could he really shoulder this burden? He'd been in difficult situations before and gotten out alive, but this seemed very, very different. This wasn't ninjas with poison blow-darts or an old-timey atomic bomb: this was a baby. Still, the only way to know was to take things one step at a time.

"Henry?" Maggie said reluctantly, bracing herself for his reaction. "Will you... Will you help me tell my parents tomorrow?"

For the briefest second, Maggie saw fear flash in his eyes. Then it was gone, buried by all his courage and sense of responsibility.

"Of course." He kissed her forehead gently.

Suddenly Maggie didn't feel alone anymore. "I'll try to hide all their guns before you come over."  
>"I'd appreciate it."<p>

She laid her head on his chest. "Henry?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

He smiled. "I'm sure it'll be fine. Especially since I'll have had some practice before then. I need to tell my parents tonight on iCat or I won't be able to until I talk to them next month, and there's also Uncle Bryan... By tomorrow, I'll be a pro at telling people I knocked you up."  
>"I can't let you do that stuff alone; it wouldn't be fair."<p>

"Haven't you been through enough today?"

Maggie put her hand on his. "I want to be with you when you tell your parents."

"But we're supposed to talk in ten minutes."

"Then let's get it over with."


	6. Chapter 6: Telling

_ This can't be happening. This really CANNOT be happening. How did I not see this coming? Were there signs? Of course there were signs. There had to have been signs. Things like this are preceded by signs. Maybe I saw them and ignored them. Yeah, that's it. I was in denial. Had to be. That's what you do when you notice your cousin is screwing around with the girl you've had a crush on since you were ten – _

"Jasper?"

Too lost in his thoughts to realize his father was approaching him, Jasper started and screamed like he had just found on bug on his shirt. Not one the size of a Rex Regis Plasmator, but his father still thought he overreacted.

"Oh... um, hi." Jasper tried and failed to act casual. "Your movie's over already?"  
>Mr. Bartlett stared at his son suspiciously. "No, I've just decided that I'm more interested in why you're sitting on the stairs looking so panicked."<br>"Panicked? I'm not panicked! No, no I've just had way too much CaffMonkey."

"Why did I hear a loud thud a few minutes ago?"

"I tripped."  
>"You tripped?"<p>

"'Cause I'm spastic."

Mr. Bartlett couldn't think of a good counter for that.

"What are Henry and Maggie doing up there?"

"Talking about homework."

"Really? Maggie seemed upset – "

"She takes homework very seriously."

"She was almost crying."

"And?"

"And is she doing well in school?"

"Dad, it's Maggie. She's doing fine."

"Then why is she upset about homework?"

"What homework?"

"The homework Henry and Maggie are talking about."

"What about it?"

Jasper needed to be careful now. His dad was getting testy, as evident by his need to take a deep, long breath before continuing.

"Why is Maggie upset about the homework?"

"Since when does Maggie have to worry about homework?"

"You just said she was upset about homework."  
>"I never said she was upset. I just said Henry and Maggie were talking about homework."<p>

"Then what is she upset about?"

"Maggie's upset?"

"Yes!"

"Really?"

"Jasper, I saw her. She looked upset."

"She looked fine to me."

At this point Mr. Bartlett felt a migraine coming on. "I'm going back to the living room."  
>"Enjoy the rest of your movie!"<p>

Bryan Bartlett sat down on the couch, replaying the conversation in his head. By the time he realized Jasper never said why he was sitting on the stairs, his son was nowhere to be found.

Maggie's stomach turned at the sound of the computer humming to life. Her eyes followed Henry's shaky hand as he pressed all the necessary buttons to activate the "iCat".

_It'll be easier for us to tell them this way. Especially since they can't reach out and strangle us._

Henry gave her a nervous smile. It helped to settle her nerves a bit.

Then she broke out in a cold sweat once his parents appeared on the screen.

"Hi, sweetie!" said his mom, clearly thrilled to see him. "Hi, Maggie! It's good to see you again! Zafer, don't they look more grown up?"

Oh, the guilt. The spine-tingling, nausea-inducing guilt. These people were going to hate her within the next five minutes.

"Hi, Mom and Dad."

"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Griffin." Maggie did her best to keep her voice level.

"Well this is a nice surprise! Maggie's never been on iChat with you before. And Jasper doesn't seem to be around, either." Zafer looked at the nervous pair with a knowing smirk. "Is there something specific you want to discuss?"

Just as Henry and Maggie's blood turned to ice water, Mrs. Griffin stepped in.

"Don't jump to conclusions, honey! Although if you two are dating we'd be perfectly fine with it..."

If only it were that simple.

Henry shook his head slowly. "Um, no, that's not what's going on."

"Then does Maggie have questions about our work?" Zafer inquired.

"Nope," his son answered.

At last Henry's parents noticed the teenagers' discomfort.

"Oh, sweetie," His mother began to sound annoyed and very worried. "What kind of trouble have you gotten into now?"

Her exasperated expression filled Maggie with overwhelming shame. What they were about to hear was worse than they were anticipating. Tears streamed down her cheeks before she could stop herself.

"I'm so sorry," she sputtered to Henry's concerned and bewildered parents. Then she hid her face in her hands. She couldn't bear to look them in the eye.

"Henry, wha...?" Mrs. Griffin asked her son as he drew Maggie close and muttered soothing words. Once Maggie took her hands away from her face and let him wipe her tears, Henry answered his mother.

"Mom, she's pregnant."

After a moment of cricket-quiet silence, Mr. Griffin spoke up. "Who's the father?"

His wife looked at him like he was a complete idiot, then turned to her son with renewed hope. "Henry, who's the father?"

"Me."

"Shit!"

"Mom!"

"Rosemary!"

"You said you two aren't dating!"

"Well we're not – "

"So you're friends with benefits? Dammit Henry, we raised you better than that!"

"Rosemary, stop cursing."

"Don't you tell me to stop cursing, Zafer! Our son knocked up a girl he isn't even dating!" Mrs. Griffin seemed to be hyperventilating. "And they're only juniors in high school! Henry Jason Griffin, you've done a lot of dumb-ass things, but seducing Maggie – "

"I started it!" The words fell from Maggie's lips like small explosives. They were so shocking and unexpected that Henry's parents lapsed into silence once more. "We were alone in the DOUM rooms and it just happened. We never did anything like that before and I don't know why but we just couldn't seem to stop. But I kissed him first."

Mr. and Mrs. Griffin looked at each other for a long moment, then back to the kids.

"What are you planning to do?" Zafer said.

It was Henry and Maggie's turn to exchange a look.

"We don't know," Henry answered. "But I think we're keeping it."


	7. Chapter 7: Outdoing

Well, that was terrifying. And it was only going to get worse.

Maggie was pacing, trying to breathe deeply and calm down. Her heart was thumping and tears were threatening to roll down her cheeks again.

True, Henry's parents took it better than she expected, but they had still looked scared and disappointed. Their expressions had been difficult to read when Henry told them he thought they would keep the baby, though. Shock? Disapproval? She couldn't tell. All they said after that was "Oh," and "Goodbye."

That was just _their_ response to Henry's remark. Maggie was reeling. Why didn't he say he thought they'd give it up for adoption? What exactly did he mean by "keep"? Were they really going to raise it? She was to afraid to ask.

"Maggie, it'll be okay." Henry said as he watched her pace anxiously.

"That was only the tip of the iceberg!" She turned to him, trying to keep her emotions under control. "There's so much more that we're going to have to deal with and I don't know..." Her voice cracked terribly on the last four words. Feeling her knees give out, she fell to the floor.

Henry walked over to her and knelt down beside her just as she began sobbing. He held her again and she continued to cry into his shoulder.

"What if I'm not strong enough?" she asked just as her sobbing grew louder.

Hot tears were seconds away from tumbling out of Henry's eyes, but he held them back. If he broke down, it would make her feel worse.

"You're one of the strongest people I know," he said quietly as he rubbed her back. "I know you can get through this."

After that, her crying softened. "Really?"

"Really."

Maggie sniffled loudly and wiped her eyes. "Thanks. I needed to hear that." She frowned as she pulled away from him and noticed the wet mark she left on his shoulder.

"I want to tell Uncle Bryan by myself."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm going to tell him after you leave." They stood up and he kissed her cheek. "Go home, Maggie. You need to sleep. I'll see you tomorrow."

_Unless Dean Bartlett kills you first,_ she thought as they hugged goodbye. He was right, though; she really needed to sleep. And she was certainly not up for another confession session.

"Good luck, Henry."

Uncle Bryan continued to watch his movie, which by this time had about a half hour left. The image of Maggie ascending the stairs in an obvious emotional state occasionally floated to the forefront of his mind, but he ignored it. Whatever was going on probably had nothing to do with him, and the kids were old enough to settle it by themselves.

The front door had opened and closed, meaning either Maggie left or Jasper returned.

_There's nothing to worry about,_ he told himself. However, his Uncle/Dad/Dean senses were tingling, and there was obviously something the matter. But it was best not to get in the middle of it. They'd only lie to him about it anyway. Not that the inevitability of the numerous hijinks last year had turned Mr. Bartlett into a defeatist. Absolutely not. He just... learned when to keep his distance. The line of course was drawn at matters of national security. And explosive devices. And burglary at the museum. Oh, and anything that could implicate him in a murder or make him lose his job.

But whatever it was was strictly "them" business. He could feel free to stay out of it.

"Uncle Bryan?"

Mr. Bartlett watched as Henry rounded the arm of the couch.

Maybe he only wants to watch the movie. Never mind the fact that he looks nervous.

"Do you need something?"

"Um... I really need to tell you something."

Oh, no. What happened at the museum this time? Did he find another bomb made by our founding fathers? Did Jasper accidentally release another virus into the school? Has there been another assassination plot?

_Perhaps I should brace myself. _He thought as he paused the movie.

Henry gulped, which only made Uncle Bryan more nervous. Henry was usually able to keep calm.

"What's happened?"

Henry sat down on the coffee table. "I should probably just come right out and say it."

Mr. Bartlett raised an eyebrow. "Alright."

"... Uh..." Goodness, Henry was _sweating_. "Well... I... um..."

"Henry, just – "

"I got Maggie pregnant!"

The ensuing silence was, pardon the pun, pregnant with incredulity. This was a joke. It _had _to be. Henry and Maggie weren't dating, and Maggie would never do something so irresponsible. Maybe the truth was so bad he chose to cover it up with this outrageous lie.

Springs squeaked as Uncle Bryan adjusted himself on the couch. "Henry, I'd rather you tell me the truth."

"That _is_ the truth. Maggie and I just told my parents on iCat."

Nevertheless, denial was still the preferable option.

"No really, Henry – "

"I knocked her up, Uncle Bryan!"

Frustrated, he pinched the bridge of his nose. This wasn't happening. Maggie was surely not _pregnant_. It had to be some kind of absurd cover story. Or... perhaps Uncle Bryan was being punked. Yes, that was it. In the name of all that is good, please let that be it.

"This isn't funny. If this is some kind of joke – "

"I promise I'm telling you the truth! We did it without thinking and now Maggie is pregnant." Henry finally began to cry. "Uncle Bryan, I'm _so_ sorry. We didn't mean for it to happen. I don't know what to do.""

Mr. Bartlett stared at his nephew, searching for any – _any_ – sign that he was lying. But it seemed that Henry was genuinely scared.

"Oh... my," He said, for lack of a better word. His nephew had a talent for trouble – the aforementioned mishaps among other equally perilous adventures could attest to that – but they all somehow paled in comparison to _this_.

Feeling like he had had the wind knocked out of him, Mr. Bartlett sighed exasperatedly. "You've really outdone yourself this time."


	8. Chapter 8: Dreading

This was it; all the trials that came before this were comfortable by comparison. If there was ever a time to take a moment to scream into a pillow, it was now.

_I'm just taking a minute to ready myself. _

Maggie's bedroom was feeling more like a panic room; the four walls and locked door protected her from the danger just down the stairs.

_Maybe I should just cut my losses and flee to Mexico._

She had been dreading this all day. School had gone by in a blur, her fear and anxiety hazing all the details. What did they learn in Trigonometry? She didn't know; it probably had something to do with triangles. If Henry and Jasper hadn't been there for her, she wasn't sure what would've happened. Their support was what kept her head above water.

Which was part of the reason Maggie changed her mind about letting Henry help her tell her parents. True, she had helped Henry tell his, but that was different. There had been a screen between them, and neither of Henry's parents had weapons training, unlike Maggie's.

Every time she played the scenario in her head, Henry was either shot, stabbed, or had his necked snapped. It didn't bode well. So she told him to stay home.

Once she came home from school, she went directly to her room and curled up on her bed. Maggie needed to be rested and ready, since she planned to talk to her parents when they got home from work. But she was too nervous and only laid there. Two hours later, the sounds of the cars pulling up and the opening of the front door made her heart splash into her stomach.

She had only a couple hours now.

Pots and pans clattered around in the kitchen downstairs. Maggie had always admired her mom's ability to be both a high-ranking member of the CIA and a mother who strives to cook dinner at least three times a week. Her father was likely getting out ingredients for her before retiring to the couch to watch the game. Mrs. Winnock was too much of a Kitchen Nazi to actually let anyone help her cook.

_Do I tell them at dinner? Do I march downstairs and tell them right now? What are they going to do to me?_

Tick tock, tick tock; the old-fashioned alarm clock on her nightstand taunted her with the sound.

_In ten minutes your parents will disown you. Or is it thirty minutes? Or is it two hours? Maybe it's two weeks. Just how cowardly are you going to be?_

That's exactly what the clock sounded like. Tick tock, tick tock.

_One minute closer to your parents hating you._

Tick tock, tick tock.

_Just what might they force you to do?_

It wouldn't shut up. The clock on her wall kept ticking away, making her more panicky by the second.

_Will they make you kill it?_

_Will they make you leave it?_

_Will they make you suffer?_

_Will they even believe it?_

Little by little the hands moved over the numbers, inching their way around the clock's cruel face.

_There is bound to be yelling_

_And cursing and more_

_Once the Winnocks find out_

_That their daughter's a – _

Hickory, dickory dock. Maggie smashed the ticking clock.

Mrs. Diana Winnock was just about to strain the pasta when she heard a crash coming from upstairs.

"Maggie? Is everything alright?"

There was a brief pause, then:

"I'm fine, Mom. I just dropped something."

Thomas Winnock came into the kitchen to put his beer bottle in the recycle bin.

"Did you hear that noise?" he said. "Sounded like something fell upstairs."

"Maggie dropped something."

Mr. Winnock leaned on the counter. "Has she seemed alright to you lately? Is she going through a teenage girl thing that I could never understand?"

"No and probably." she answered. "She's nearly seventeen."

He smiled. "On Saturday."

"I'm sure she just wants her space."

Ziti with roasted vegetables. Somehow it made everything harder with one of her favorite dishes in front of her. It was like it was sarcastically telling her to have fun breaking her mother's heart.

Maggie's father watched her push a piece of zucchini around her plate.

"Are you making your food ice skate like you did when you were little?" he asked, trying to hide is concern.

She popped the vegetable in her mouth, her eyes never leaving her food. "Mm-hm."

"How was school today?" asked Mrs. Winnock. "Keeping your grades up?"

"As always."

Her mother smiled. "Good girl. So about your birthday on Saturday: do you want something small again? You can invite Henry and Jasper over."

Maggie continued to stare at her plate. "That sounds nice."

Her parents exchanged glances.

"Is there something you need to tell us?" said her mother calmly.

For a moment Maggie didn't move; then she dropped her fork and ran from the room. Her parents followed.

Mr. and Mrs. Winnock looked at each other in confusion. When their daughter's cries emanated from the living room, they sprang from their chairs, leaving their family dinner unfinished.

"Magpie, what is it?" Her father hadn't called her that since she was nine.

Mrs. Winnock sat down next to Maggie on the couch. "If it's about college again, I assure you that you've got a better chance than most – "

"Not anymore, I don't!" Maggie finally looked at her mother. "I... I might not be able to go now."

"Sweetie, What are you talking about?" Mr. Winnock asked as he crouched down beside her. "You said your grades are still great."

"It's not about grades, Dad." she wiped a tear from her eye. "I did something stupid."

Her parents' eyes widened in fear.

Maggie's mom took a deep breath. "Sweetheart, what is it? You can tell us."

She couldn't look. Maggie just couldn't look at them. "I'm pregnant."

Pin-drop silence filled the room like wet cement. For four whole seconds (though it felt longer), no one said a word.

"I'm so sorry." she uttered shamefully.

Her mother gave her a small, understanding smile. "Oh, honey, it's alright."

Maggie looked at her in disbelief. "It is?"

"Of course, sweetie."

Dizzy with relief, Maggie sighed and hugged her mom.

"I'll take off work tomorrow and we can go to the clinic together."

Maggie's heart climbed into her throat. "I can't. I tried but I can't do it."

"It won't be easy but I'll be there with you."

She let go of her mother and looked her in the eye. "You don't understand. I _can't_." Her mother only looked at her patronizingly. "Dad? Please tell her I can't do it."

Her pleading tone was no use.

"Listen to your mother." he said before getting up and walking out of the room.

"Sweetie," her mother cooed. "It's really not as bad as you think."

Maggie forgot to breathe for a moment. "How would you know?"

"I had it done when your father and I were newlyweds because we needed to focus on our careers, and then again a year after I had you. It just wasn't the right time."

The right time.

"And I came at the right time?" Maggie felt numb.

Mrs. Winnock smiled. "The prefect time. Unlike this," She put her hand to Maggie's stomach. "Do you understand?"

Maggie nodded. It was all she was able to do.

"Good. So we can go tomorrow – "

"No." she whimpered.

"Maggie – "

The tears were back. "Please, mom, I can't."

"You will go tomorrow and it'll all be over soon." Her mother was sounding more stern.

"Please don't make me! I don't want to."

Mrs. Winnock grabbed her daughter's chin. "Pull yourself together, young lady. You will not keep it."

The tears feel harder. "Can I please give it up for adoption?"

Diana laughed harshly. "And suffer the ridicule? The setbacks? Tell me, is that thing worth it?"

That _thing_. She called it a thing.

"Maybe. I guess I was lucky to have been born at the _perfect time_. Otherwise I wouldn't have been worth the inconvenience."

"Don't you talk to me that way. They were sacrifices I needed to make. Now you are going to buck up and go to the clinic tomorrow – "

"No."

Mrs. Winnock got very quiet... and very intense. "If you don't do it, then I want you out of this house."

"Would Dad really allow that?"

_Oh, please, Daddy, don't let her do it._

"Your father understands that he doesn't get a say in this. Now I'll tell you one more time: go to the clinic, or get out of this house."

There it was: she could either let her parents abandon her, or let a doctor rip the baby from her womb in pieces. Horrible risk and ridicule, or extreme cowardice and selfishness?

"Mom, _please_ – "

"Get out."

Maggie couldn't breathe. "But – "

"GET OUT. Gather your things, get in your car, and leave. I don't want you back here until you've agreed to get rid of that thing."

"_Mom._" she whispered pleadingly.

Mrs. Winnock delivered her a reprimanding slap. "I mean it. Be out of here in twenty minutes or I'll shove you out the door."

Maggie ran to her room, nearly tripping on a few stairs.

"You're going to have to learn to make sacrifices if you want to succeed!" her mother called after her.

* * *

><p>Have fun waiting for the next chapter :) R&amp;R as always.<p> 


	9. Chapter 9: Spiraling

Twenty minutes. It wasn't much, and certainly not when she needed time to cry and assess the situation. She didn't know where to go. There was the Bartletts' house, but she wouldn't want to bother them; she done enough to them already.

A place to stay wasn't even the worst part. Her mother more or less told her that if she had been an inconvenience, she would've aborted her. Just like the one before her, and the one after. She had always tried to be the perfect daughter – perfect grades, perfect behavior – but now that she's made a mistake and _inconvenienced_ them, she was no longer welcome. Kill your baby, or get out. So much for parental love being unconditional.

And her _father_... he resigned immediately. He must've learned that he had no part in the decision making, that it technically wasn't really happening to _him. _Maggie had also noticed that she was never asked who the father was, as if it were totally unimportant.

She had parents who hated her, nowhere to go, and a ruined future.

_I just want it to end._

That's when she began to think about all of the guns in the house.

She found herself walking into her parents' bedroom without really realizing it. When she passed the mirror by the bedroom door, she saw the smeared mascara, the tear tracks, the tender red spot on her cheek... she was so tired.

Maggie pulled the case from under the bed. She had been told where it was, just in case of emergency. Surely this qualified.

The hard black case opened with a sharp _click_. Inside was a pearl-handled M1911 that her father had received as a present.

The gun felt cool in her hands as she checked the chamber. A shiny little .45 caliber bullet was loaded and ready to go. As she gently pressed the muzzle to her temple, it hit her.

_What the hell am I doing?_

Her hands began to shake. She clumsily dropped the gun and scrambled away from it.

Bordering on hysteria, Maggie ran back to her room and haphazardly stuffed all the essentials into a big duffel bag, shoved all her books into her backpack, then took all the necessities from her bathroom. She needed to get out _now_.

Her vintage car – a blue Gremlin converted to run on french-fry oil – sat patiently in the driveway, ready to take her away from here. She opened the driver's side door, threw her stuff into the backseat, and drove away.

She stopped at a small park two miles from her house. It was weirdly comforting: she remembered playing here as a little girl, back when her parents loved her. Now it was just a place for her to cry loudly into her steering wheel.

"I'm so sorry, baby." Maggie cried. She apologized for having bad parents. She apologized for almost shooting herself. She apologized for not having a plan. She apologized for being so stupid.

Her phone rang, ripping her away from her musings.

"Maggie, have you told them yet?" It was Henry. "Because I still think I should tell them with you."

It was logical of Henry to hope she hadn't yet; it was only a little after 6:30.

"I already told them." She said after wiping the tears and mascara from under her eyes.

"How did it go?" Henry asked optimistically.

"My dad only told me to listen to my mother."

"And..." Henry sounded scared. "and what did your mother say?"

Inhale... exhale. "She told me I had to get an abortion or she'd kick me out."

One Mississippi... "I thought you said you didn't want to do that."

"I don't."

"... Maggie, where are you?"

She sniffled. "At the park near my house."

"Do you have a place to stay?"

"No – "

"Hold on a second."

There was silence on the other end. Maggie counted forty-six seconds before Henry picked up again.

"Uncle Bryan said you can stay here."

"No, I've done enough – "

"Maggie, either you drive yourself here or I come find you."

Being in the Bartlett's driveway made her feel worse and safe all at the same time. Maybe she could just sleep in her car. Then she wouldn't have to bother anyone.

Henry came jogging out of the house before Maggie could take the key out of the ignition.

"Let me get your stuff," he said as she opened her door.

"No, Henry, I got it. " As she rose from her seat, the light from the porch shone on her bruising face.

The sight of her – the tears, the bruise, the running makeup – was leaving him speechless.

"Henry, please. I can get my stuff."

"Um..." he looked like he didn't know whether to be sad or angry. "Okay."

Henry watched as she arranged all the bags so she take them in one trip. They walked to the door together, where Mr. Bartlett waited for them.

"Hello, Maggie," he said kindly as they came in. "Are you hungry?"

She found it difficult to look him in the eye. "No thank you, Dean Bartlett. I'd just like to go to sleep."

He nods. "You can stay in the guest bedroom. Henry, help her get situated."

The moment they reached the top of the stairs, Jasper came out of his bedroom. He looked awkward, afraid he might say something to upset her.

"Hey, Maggie, are you okay?" Jasper asked softly.

She gave him a weak smile. "I think I will be."

Maggie and Henry continued to her room. When they entered, Henry closed the door behind them.

"Do you need help unpacking?"

She uttered a brief, bitter laugh. "I wasn't given much time. There's not much to unpack."

Finally, she looked him in the eye. "Do you think you could... stay in here with me tonight?"

Henry stepped closer to her and wiped away the tear stains and mascara smears on her cheeks. "Sure I can."

They helped one another strip to their underwear and crawl into bed.

"You don't have to go to school tomorrow, you know." Henry muttered as he cuddled her close.

"No, I think I do." She nuzzled his neck, reveling in the safety of his embrace. "I need something to take my mind off of things. Something that can still feel normal, at least for a little while."

After a moment of thought, he kissed her forehead. "Okay. But just remember that I'm here for you."


	10. Chapter 10: Arguing

"Are you sure about this?"

Jasper stood in the doorway of the guest bedroom, watching Maggie put the necessary books in her backpack. He thought that she should take a sick day after everything that's happened, a belief that he'd been voicing all morning. Mr. Bartlett expressed his agreement only once, while Henry wisely kept his mouth shut. But, as always, Jasper had no problem getting on Maggie's nerves.

"For the last time, Jasper, I want to go!"

"But I can bring home your homework for you—"

"I'd appreciate a little normality right now—"

"But it's too stressful!"

Irritated, Maggie rolled her eyes as she stuffed a big blue binder into her bag. "Stressful or not, it's what I need at the moment."

"No," Jasper countered, unnecessarily dragging out the single syllable. "What you need is a pint of Ben & Jerry's Half Baked and the _Psych_ marathon that'll be on in an hour."

Jaw muscles tensing, Maggie stood up and turned around to glare at him. "I'm going to school."

Jasper crossed his arms and resolutely blocked the doorway. "Unless you're going to march that cute butt down to the living-room couch, I'm not letting you out of here."

Her eyes narrowed further and she huffed indignantly.

"Pout all you want; I'm not moving."

"We're going to be late."

"I'd rather be late than let you go."

Her expression softened. "I need this."

"No, Maggie."

She frowned angrily at him. He just didn't understand.

"Henry!" she called. "Tell Jasper that I'm going to school!"

For a moment, there was silence.

"Maggie's going to school!" he finally replied from downstairs.

She gave Jasper a proud smirk. "There, see?"

He turned away and left without further argument. Reveling in her victory, Maggie shrugged on her backpack and followed the boys outside.

Nervously biting his lip, Henry looked in the rearview mirror. Maggie's Gremlin trailed behind them.

"If you're so worried about her, then why didn't you tell her to stay home?"

"Because I understand why she needs this."

"Oh, yeah?" said Jasper sarcastically. "Does it have anything to do with her perfect attendance?"

Henry leaned back in his seat. "Her life is falling apart. Every aspect—her relationship with her parents; her relationship with me; where she lives; her plans for the future— it's all either destroyed or changing dramatically. School is all she has left."

"That is until people find out about her." Jasper clarified, his annoyance subsiding.

"Which is why we have to keep this a secret for a long as possible. Mom's the word."

Jasper raised an eyebrow at his cousin. It had been a while since one of his malapropisms. "Don't you mean 'mum'?"

"Isn't that the British term?"

"Never mind."


	11. Chapter 11: Joking

Strangely, Maggie had expected school to feel changed. It didn't; it was as if nothing had happened. People acted the same. Classes went on as usual. Most importantly, no one looked at her differently.

What a brilliant escape from reality it was going to be. Eventually Maggie was separated from the boys and had an entire class period with absolutely no one glancing at her worryingly. It was bliss.

But then came calculus.

Diora Warrison. Known to many as "The Insufferable Bitch". Maggie thought "Poisonous Viper" suited her better. She was a rumor queen, one of those silver-tongued harpies who salivated over a delectable piece of gossip. Only it was worse than that. She knew better than to make things up. After all, the best lies are the ones closest to the truth. Not only that, but she spread gossip _after_ confronting the subject about it in public. "So I heard you're bulimic." she once said to Kimmy Carmike, who once threw up in the crowded girls' bathroom after lunch. Then she launched into a falsely heart-felt spiel about Kimmy needing help, in spite of the victimized girl's vehement denial. This all happened minutes before class started, and everyone heard. Now everyone, including teachers and Kimmy's parents, think she's bulimic. Maggie was weary of Diora, and felt lucky she hadn't been targeted. But now Maggie's skin crawled as Diora took the desk behind her. Diora always sat three rows away.

"You drive a blue Gremlin, right?" asked Diora.

Maggie's eyes narrowed at the seemingly innocuous question before she answered. "Yes."

"Huh, so that must've been you I saw yesterday."

Maggie squelched her fear and continued getting out her homework.

"So Kate and I were at Starbucks yesterday, you know, the one on May Street? Anyway, we saw you across the street at the abortion clinic."

She said it loud, too. Loud enough that at the word "abortion", the room got cricket quiet.

An eyebrow raised, Maggie looked at her incredulously. "Why would I be there?"

It was subtle, very, very subtle, but Maggie saw it; that vicious glimmer in Diora's eyes.

"That's what I was going to ask you. If you need someone to talk to…" She put a hand on Maggie's shoulder. "I'm here for you."

This was quite a bind. People would eventually find out about Maggie's pregnancy, so if she denies this now, it'll only be worse later on. But she wasn't going to give this insufferable bitch (Maggie admitted it did have a certain ring to it) the satisfaction of making her squirm. She had lost her parents, her friendships were shifting, and she had a baby on the way. The respect and approval of her classmates and teachers? Please. She had better things to worry about.

"Henry and I had passionate, unprotected sex six weeks ago, and I recently found out that I'm pregnant. I panicked and went to the clinic but soon changed my mind. I'm keeping it."  
>The entire room erupted with laughter. Maggie couldn't believe her luck. Apparently the absurdity was too much to accept. They thought it was a joke. All of them. Someone even gave her a high five and said, "Good one,". Diora wasn't laughing though; her plan had backfired horribly. They were supposed to laugh <em>at<em> Maggie, not _with_ her. There were supposed to be surprised gasps and venomous whispers and name calling. No. No, no, no.

"If you're joking, then what was your car doing at the clinic?" questioned Diora, loud enough to be heard over the din.

"Oh, shut up, Diora!" yells Shelley. "As if Maggie would ever need to go there!"

Chastised and scowling, the poisonous bitch sinks into her seat as the teacher enters and the class quiets.

"I'm having a good day." states Maggie as she sits down to lunch with the boys. They smile at her encouragingly, briefly hiding their ever-present looks of concern.

"It's been nice and normal?" Henry asks though a mouthful of chicken.

She nods. "I also de-fanged an acid-spitting viper in calculus."

Jasper looks at her in surprise as she sips her milk. "As in Diora Warrison? What happened?"

"She announced to the class that she saw my car at the abortion clinic yesterday."

The boys stare at her, mouths gaping.

"W-what did you say?" sputters Jasper.

"The truth. I said Henry knocked me up and I went to the clinic but then changed my mind. Everyone thought I was kidding. Now no one believes I was even there at all."

"But people will know eventually, right?" says Henry worriedly.

"Sure, but not today." quips Maggie.

Maggie was right. The rest of the day went by without her secret being discovered, as did the rest of the week. And living with the boys was easier than one might expect—after all, she had spent the entire summer sharing a tent with them. Living with them in a house wasn't much of a challenge compared to that. The arrangement became routine, comfortable, and even enjoyable. The days became weeks and the weeks became months—months of Maggie's car sitting in the Bartlett's driveway, months of her parents ignoring her. It was a miracle no one picked up on the weirdness. Eventually it was discovered that the Winnocks had been telling a cover story: Maggie grew so used to living with the boys during the summer that she continued to do so, with Mr. Bartlett's permission. Weirder than the lie was the fact that people believed it. Her attachment to the boys must've been more obvious than she realized.

But whatever. That lie is what got them through the first trimester relatively unscathed.


	12. Chapter 12: Conspiring

My apologies for suddenly switching to present tense in the last chapter. It's how I write my other fanfic and I sometimes get it confused.

_Maybe if I just stand up straighter… _Maggie stretched her spine and sucked in her stomach, but the bump was still noticeable. Sighing, she ran her hand over the smooth little hill on her abdomen.

"Mommy forgives you for making her fat." she mumbled. Baggy clothes were going to become the norm soon, which would work out pretty well since it was December. While she could probably borrow the boys' sweatshirts for the next two months, she was bound to grow out of her clothes and the only place she'd be able to afford was the thrift store. That worried her more than it should have, but she was getting too comfortable with people not knowing, and wearing second-hand clothing would tip people off.

Maggie left the bathroom and went downstairs, where her two best friends abruptly stopped whispering when they saw her.

"Hey, guys," she said casually as she entered the kitchen.

"Hi, are you cold?" asked Henry nervously, who had been punctuating everything he said to her with that same question since the onset of winter.

She rolled her eyes and smiled. "I'm in a sweatshirt and jeans, Henry. I'm fine."

Awkward silence followed. Then Henry walked out of the room.

"Um… what's going on?"

Jasper shrugged. "Nothing."

"Why is Henry acting weird?"

"He's not acting weird."

"Yes, he is."

"Are you sure you're not cold?"

Maggie's eyes narrow slightly as Jasper smiles at her innocently.

"Stop looking at me like that or I will punch you in the face." she stated.

"Looking at you like what?"

"Like you've got nothing to hide."

"You're pregnant. You should go take a nap."

"I'm not tired."

"Want some cocoa?"

"Of course I do. I'm pregnant."

"Great. Make yourself some and go take a nap."

Jasper left the kitchen and Maggie suddenly felt like crying. Stupid hormones. Their behavior was nothing to worry about. They haven't acted annoyed with her, and there hasn't been any fighting. She was just being sensitive. They were probably talking about what to get her for Christmas or maybe if they should get something for the baby. That had to be it. Still, she sniffled as she stirred her hot chocolate and climbed the stairs.

"Don't worry; she didn't get anything out of me." assured Jasper as he joined Henry outside. When his cousin didn't respond, he continued. "But you should talk to her, you know."

"She's got enough to deal with." Henry mumbled as he took a seat on the cold porch step.

Jasper sat down next to him. "Well, yeah, but… you two should probably sort some things out. I mean it's your baby—"

"And all I'm going to do is support her. She doesn't need to be worrying about my feelings."

"So what if you want to define the relationship? It might make things easier if you guys were actually dating."

The boys were quiet for a few seconds as they mulled this over. Then they frowned simultaneously.

Jasper bit his lip. "Then again—"

"Yeah,"

"Okay, so maybe this isn't the time for that, but what about when people find out? We've only got one week left of school before break, but when we come back in January, it'll only be a matter of time."

"I wish we were in Mongolia." started Henry, sounding distant. "Or somewhere remote. Maggie wouldn't have to worry about people judging her. And if we ever did meet anyone, we could just say we're married. There're plenty of places where people would believe that. It'd be great. It'd be easier if we could just travel around with my parents and just worry about each other and the baby."

Jasper smiled. "I'm not sure about Mongolia; taking a pregnant girl to the desert sounds like a bad idea. But I get it; there's a lot for her to deal with here and things would be simpler living like you used to. Have you considered asking your parents?"

"And give them more to worry about? I don't know. Maybe I will if things get too rough for Maggie here."

"It doesn't seem like too much to do for their grand…" Suddenly, Jasper got very quiet. "ITALIAN GRANDPARENTS!"

"_What?_"

"Remember?! Maggie has grandparents in Italy!"

"…"

Jasper sighed, his breath visible in the cold air, and looked at Henry as if he were insufferably dense. "Remember Maggie telling us about her mom's side of the family?"

Henry blinked. "Her mom's side of the family is completely Italian."

"YES. And they're estranged, especially Maggie's grandparents. Her mom hasn't talked to them since she graduated college."

"Uh-huh."

"So they probably won't side with her mom. Like, at all."

Finally, the light bulb switched on. "You think Maggie's mom's parents will help her?"

Jasper tapped his numbing nose and pointed at Henry as if they were playing charades. "They're old people and undoubtedly super-Catholic. And they've probably been dying to meet Maggie, pun unintended. If they found out that their daughter tried to force Maggie to get an abortion—"

"Then they're even more likely to help their granddaughter and great-grandchild." Henry bit the inside of his cheek, afraid to hope. "You really think so?"

"Well, I hope so. Then maybe she can go live with them, have the baby there, and give it up for adoption. Then she could come back here and continue her life."

"Adoption?" It came out as almost a whimper.

Jasper swallowed hard, unnerved by Henry's expression. "Maggie's too young to be a mom."

"I know a lot of places where it's natural for girls her age to be mothers."

"America isn't one of those places."

"So she'll just have our baby and forget about it?"

"It would be better that people never knew—"

"They don't have to know. We don't have to stay here."

"So you and Maggie will run off together and leave everything behind?"

Henry looked at his cousin, sensing an unspoken question. "You could come with us. It'd be like it was in the summer. Well, less danger, hopefully. I can't be so adventurous when I have a baby to worry about."

Smirking, Jasper patted him on the back. "That's sweet, Cuz. But you're still forgetting the fact that Maggie has plans. I do, too."

Henry gave Jasper his most genuine puppy-dog look. "You and Maggie won't run away with me?"

Jasper smiled as he glanced at Henry, then he stood up and started walking to his car. "Let's just talk to her grandparents and see what happens."

Henry followed after him. "Where are you going?"

"Wanna go Christmas shopping?"


	13. Chapter 13: Shopping

The mall was as hectic and crowded as an Asian bazaar. The Christmas music and decorations did little to calm the atmosphere, and the sound of whiny kids standing in line to meet Santa added to the feeling of anxiety permeating the entire building complex. Henry and Jasper navigated the grumpy, determined multitude and sought refuge in the nearest store.

It happened to be a baby store.

"So... what do babies need?" asked Henry.

Jasper thought for a second. "Teddy bears."

"Seriously?"

"Well, it's probably in the top 5."

Ignorant of the general needs of infants, Henry nodded in agreement. "Ok, then we'll get the baby a teddy bear."

Jasper grabbed Henry's shoulder, stopping his cousin from venturing deeper into the store. "Are you sure we should? I mean what if someone we know sees us in here?"

He shrugged. "We'll tell them we're looking for a baby present."

"For whose baby? Guys _never_ shop for baby stuff unless it's for _their_ baby. I say we get out of here."

Unfazed, Henry blinked and thought it over. As he was about to consent and leave the store, he spotted a soft, adorable teddy bear. "You go wait outside. I'll be there in a minute."

"What?! But someone we know might—"

"Just go wait for me. I won't be long."

Jasper hurried out, cursing Henry's idiotic confidence. Someone from school could pass by. What conclusions would they draw? Especially since Maggie made that "joke" about being pregnant. People would find out eventually, but if they found out because they saw Henry in a baby store, then Jasper's cousin was _so _going to—

"Hey, Barflett."

Oh, dammit. Four jocks finding one weak little band geek never ends well.

"Hi, Hunter." Jasper said, trying to remain calm.

Hunter O'Herlihy was a top of the food chain-type bully, a great white shark that swam the halls of Smithson High. Varsity quarterback, good-looking, mean-spirited, and as brainless as a mummified pharaoh. The first two traits kept him popular and the first three kept him feared. Not that Jasper feared him, not when Henry was around. But Henry wasn't around; he was buying an incriminating teddy bear. Hunter's three jock buddies weren't making him feel any better, either.

"Where's your freak of a cousin?" Before Jasper could stammer out an answer, Hunter spoke again. "And why are you hanging around outside a baby store?"

Panicking, Jasper sputtered out an explanation before Hunter or his friends could remember that strange joke that Maggie made. "Well, ah, my dad sent us to the mall to shop… for, uh, you know, presents, and, uh… my dad is really busy with work and stuff and we're doing some shopping for him, so, uh, we have to go to a lot of different stores."

"That doesn't explain why you're outside of a baby store." said Eric Mulligan, a jock who was slightly less brainless than Hunter.

Double dammit. "I… uh…"

"Hi, guys," Henry walked over with his plastic baby-green bag, grinning like he had nothing to hide. "Are you getting your Christmas shopping done?"

The four jocks looked at Henry, then at the plastic bag. Mulligan narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Well, either in suspicion or in deep concentration. He was still pretty stupid.

"Why would you need to shop in there?" he asked. The other three jocks made confused faces. As dumb as they were, they knew men just don't shop in baby stores.

Jasper was ready to grab Henry by the arm and run away, but his cousin was ready with an explanation.

"I saw a teddy bear I really liked," He paused to pull it half-way out of the bag, showing its cute furry face. "And I told Jasper it's what he could get me for Christmas. He didn't want to be seen buying it, so he gave me the money so I could do it for him."

One geek and four jocks stared at him in complete shock. Okay, maybe not _complete_ shock, because it was Henry, but still.

Unabashed, Henry took the bear all the way out and held it out to the jocks. "It's really really soft. Want to feel it?"

They looked at him as if his nose was elongating into an elephant trunk.

Jasper sighed and stepped closer to his cousin. "I was going to tell them my dad told us to get a baby present for our neighbor with a newborn. Why'd you have to tell them the truth?" muttered just loud enough for the jocks to hear.

"You are so weird, Griffin." Hunter said, a twinge of pity in his tone. The three other jocks shook their heads as if grieving for Henry's sickly masculinity.

After the herd of jocks ambled off, Jasper stared in awe at his cousin, impressed by his self-sacrifice. "Dude, you told them you wanted a teddy bear for Christmas."

"Yep."

"They were so disturbed that they didn't even laugh."

"Yep."

"And you did it just to keep Maggie's secret a while longer."

"It was worth it."

"Wow. You'd do anything to protect her, wouldn't you?"

Henry nodded. "I'd even kill to protect her."

Jasper eyes bugged out at the unexpectedly strong response.

"Well, not _kill_. Severely maim is more likely." corrected Henry.

"Now I feel disturbed."

"Hey, my protective instinct has been in overdrive for the past few months. Can you blame me?"

"I guess not." replied Jasper, understanding what his cousin meant. He'd had a lot to deal with lately and he'd been worrying constantly. "So, what do we get Maggie?"

Henry smiled. "That'll be the easy part."

Maggie was commanded to stay out of the boys' room while they wrapped presents. That left Maggie with little to do, because she had been helping Dean Bartlett all day and they finished the chores by the time the boys got home. She had wrapped their presents from her and now looked at them nestled under the tree. They were books; Jasper's was a biography and Henry's was an adventure. They were in great shape despite having come from a used book store. She got Dean Bartlett a really nice fountain pen from the same place. Her stomach gurgled with guilt, as it often did lately; it was so nice of them to let her stay at their house. Maggie felt she didn't deserve it, no matter how many chores she did or how often she helped make dinner. Dean Bartlett was very generous and understanding, which made her feel even worse. At first she thought it was because it wasn't even his own son responsible for this mess, but then she realized it was something else; he was being a better parent to her than her own mom and dad.

Which then reminded her that she wouldn't be spending Christmas with her family. The painful thought bit into her like she was an apple.

"Maggie," Dean Bartlett called from the hallway.

Pulled from her reverie, she turned around to answer him. "Yes, sir?"

He walked into the living room, his sleeves pushed up to his elbows and his hands and forearms dusted with flour. "I was going to surprise you kids with homemade gingerbread cookies, but then I remembered I don't know how to bake. Do you think you can help me figure it out?"

Maggie offered him a smile. "I'm not much of a baker, either. I can stand by with a fire extinguisher, though."

"Good enough."

As Maggie was making sure the fire extinguisher was ready and within reach, the boys were struggling to wrap presents.

"I don't think you're supposed to wrap a teddy bear, Henry; I think it goes in a gift bag."

"I don't have a gift bag. I don't want one, either. I want to wrap it." Henry was determined to do at least this one Christmas-y thing properly, especially since he botched it up last year. The tree catching fire was the worst thing. How was Henry supposed to know that he shouldn't put lit candles in the tree? It's what people used to do and it looked really pretty. And the fire department was nice about the whole thing. Also, Jasper got attacked by squirrels, but that had nothing to do with the burning tree. And Maggie _did not _appreciate her new pet tarantula, which had escaped its cage and was found attacking the fake feathery turtle-dove figurines on the living room shelf.

This year Henry would do better, starting with the stubborn little teddy that refused to be wrapped.


	14. Chapter 14: Sleigh Bells Ring

Maggie sat curled up on the couch between Henry and Jasper as they all watched _A Christmas Story._ It was Christmas Eve, and Mr. Bartlett had finally figured out how to make gingerbread, yet was still incompetent at decorating them nicely or with any moderation. A plate of over-iced, drag queen-like gingerbread "men" sat on the coffee table before them, as well as three mugs of hot chocolate.

As much as they liked the movie, they were more interested in going outside. It was snowing; big fat flakes drifted from the sky, each one begging to be part of a snowball or snow fort or snowman. The less ambitious ones wanted to be included in a snow angel and the slightly crazy ones demanded to help form a snow dragon. Not that the trio cared what the snowflakes wanted or even considered whether they had hopes and ambitions; they just wanted there to be enough of them to stomp around in and throw at each other. Every few minutes the three friends would glance out the window, waiting for the layer of snow to get thicker. Then they'd look at the clock on the wall to assure themselves that there was still time and they could go outside before it got too late.

"You'll shoot your eye out!" mocked the movie's mall Santa and mall elves as Maggie bit into her gingerbread tranny.

Henry stood up and said, "I can't wait anymore."

As he strode off to the coat rack by the front door, Maggie and Jasper exchanged a look before following him.

Six inches of snow so far. In their hats, coats, scarves and gloves, the three were ready to take advantage of it. It was nine o'clock, too late for kids to be outside, so Henry, Jasper, and Maggie were alone in their little winter wonderland.

The front yard was covered in a pristine layer of snow, which Henry soon ruined by running across. Jasper followed after him, weary of being hit by a snowball. Maggie came slowly along, relishing the feel of snowflakes melting on her nose.

As expected, Henry knelt down to pack a few fist-sized lumps of snow. Jasper moved closer to the street and started making a snowman.

Maggie watched them both as she meandered around the yard, and then took in the scenery. When she saw a cluster of mistletoe growing in the dormant oak tree, she thought of Henry. She knew exactly how she felt about him, and she was doing well at ignoring those feelings. Things were crazy enough without trying to cultivate their romantic relationship; it just wasn't smart. They didn't belong together. He knew that, right? They couldn't possibly… But then again, why not? Because of her plans? Because he wasn't ambitious and Ivy League-bound like her? Did that really make him wrong for her?

She shook her head to clear it. He's not some leather jacket-wearing bad boy. He wasn't even putting her in danger the way he used to. Not a _single_ adventure since they found out about the baby. It must be killing him to ignore whatever odd little clues he might've found, and Maggie knew it was because he had their child to worry about. And no way would he allow Maggie to get in danger in her present state. Really, he was going against his nature for her sake.

Finally, she admitted to herself that it wasn't so bad to be in love with him. Not that she was going to abandon her senses and run away with him, but still; it was something.

Henry and Jasper were having a snowball fight: Henry was protected by the oak tree and Jasper used his poor snowman as a shield. When they both stopped to make more ammo, Maggie trotted over to Henry.

He smiled up at her while rolling his third snowball. "Hey, Mags. You're not too cold out here, are you?"

"Could you stand up for a minute, please?"

When he obeyed, she looked up at the big clump of mistletoe above them. Curious, Henry followed her line of sight. When he met her gaze again, he asked, "Hey, is that—?"

But he didn't get to finish, because Maggie pulled him in for a warm, hot cocoa-flavored kiss. Smiling against her lips, he wrapped his arms around her.

Sensing the fight had gone out of his cousin, Jasper abandoned his ammunition and started reconstructive surgery on his snowman. When he finished, Henry was still kissing Maggie.

"I've got Parson Brown over here if you need him." he yelled, and smiled when he heard the couple giggle. _It's about damn time, you two, _he thought.

Christmas morning came without burning trees, aggressive squirrels, or escaping tarantulas, and that made Henry very happy. Jasper and Henry glanced at each other in triumph when Maggie squealed over her new sweaters from them. And she even melted a little when she opened the teddy bear (which was very obviously a teddy bear by the way it was wrapped, but she pretended to be surprised). Uncle Bryan made pancakes, they watched more Christmas movies, they played in the snow some more, and Henry even got to sleep in Maggie's bed with her that night. The only drawback was the feeling that things were going to get very bad very soon.


End file.
